Compromising Decisions
by The River's Shadow
Summary: This is a short telling of how Ebonyclaw went from a kittypet to a proud day-light warrior and mentor. One-shot.


**This is the product of writer's block. I wanted a challenge to help get my mental juices flowing once more. So, I searched through the character list and tried to find all the ones that don't have their own stories. After compiling a small list, I picked Ebonyclaw. Out of all the daylight warriors, she is my favorite. It seemed fit to give her a story, including the decisions she made to finally become a warrior of SkyClan.**

**This is also the initiation of my new challenge: Bringing Love to Unloved Characters, or BLUC.**

**Enjoy!**

A soft voice trailed through a Twoleg nest. Waking, a black she-cat lifted her head. Her green eyes opened, slightly blurry from her long slumber. Yawning, she stretched her back. Ripples traveled down her spine as her front legs reached out. Gaining realization, she stood.

"Ebony!" a female Twoleg called. Perking up, the cat headed to her owner. The trinket on her collar swayed with each step Ebony took.

Each morning her owner let her outside. Ebony didn't know where her owner went every day, but she always came back when the sun went down. And she let Ebony curl up on her lap while she watched something called a TV when she came back.

Ebony reached the tiled floor of the kitchen. A small bowl waited for her, filled with new food. Glancing up at her owner, she tentatively took a bite. The stale taste didn't bother anymore after eating it twice a day, every day for as long as she could remember.

Finished, Ebony licked a paw then drew it across her muzzle. The musty smell that lingered on her mouth slowly went away. Above, her owner moved her giant paw along the small ledges Ebony would occasionally jump onto.

She mumbled something Ebony didn't understand. Her owner smiled and reached down, gently stroking Ebony with a kind paw. A purr escaped Ebony. This was her second owner, but she loved the Twoleg a lot.

A creak sounded as Ebony's owner opened the door. Sunlight peeked out as fresh air flooded her nose. Excited, Ebony dashed into the yard.

The door closed behind her, notifying she'd be free all day until her owner returned. Ebony stopped below the growing oak. Closing her eyes, she breathed in the sweet scent of fresh air. It tasted better every day, especially after being cooped up inside all night. Not that it was too bad with her owner. She had a nice bed to sleep on, shelter, not only two meals of food, but also anything she could catch out her. It was wonderful. She just wished she could experience more outside this small space that she called home.

Feathers fluttered in a whirlwind above her. Glancing up, she caught the sight of a sparrow. It hopped from branch to branch, searching for any bugs crawling along the tree's limbs. It caught Ebony's eyes. _Huh, I wonder if I can catch that._

Keeping her gaze on the bird, Ebony bunched up her long legs. The power in her muscles showed under the glossy black coat from which her name originated. Unsheathing her claws, she bounded up the trunk. Her claws nicked the bark, tearing a few slivers off.

Ebony's front paws gripped a small branch. It took some strength to haul her body up. Huffing, she felt elated at the sights below her. She could see not only her neighbors' yard, but also a few streets down. Her eyes caught a small group of cats walking along fences. Not sure what they were, she turned her head. Smiling, she focused on the bird. It had jumped to a branch farther away. Lowering her head, she tried to think of a plan of attack.

Her tail flicked from side to side as she thought. If she jumped, she might fall from the tree. As long as she landed on her paws, it wouldn't hurt. However, it would take some quick thinking to twist in midair.

Gathering her thoughts, she leapt. Squawking, the bird flew into the air. Disorientated, Ebony hit a branch. She clawed desperately to lift her body onto the medium sized limb. She didn't have enough strength and lost her grip.

Yowling, she whipped her tail through the air to orientate herself. With her paws pointed down, she felt a tremor go from nose to tail when she landed.

"Nice job," a voice sneered. Ebony quickly turned to see Oscar, a black neighborhood tom. Sighing, she began to walk to the fence he sat on.

"What are you doing watching me?" Ebony demanded calmly. A gleam traveled across his emerald eyes.

"I got bored. Some weird cats are milling around my house, asking odd questions," he replied. Tilting her head, Ebony wondered what made them weird. Quickly, she bounded up to join him.

"Weird like how?" she asked. Thoughtfully licking a paw, Oscar stalled for time.

"Their names are ridiculous for one. One called Firestar talked about cats in the stars. They wanted me to join a Clan of some sort," he answered, sounding critical. Blinking, Ebony tried to comprehend. _Firestar? That is a bizarre name._

"Okay... What did you say to them?" Ebony meowed, gazing at him. Snorting, Oscar took a swipe at the fence top.

"No, of course. Who wants to live with crazy cats?" he growled. Ebony's eyes widened for a moment. She knew he was a cranky cat, but never had he been this upset, or angry with newcomers. Knowing better, she decided to agree with him.

"I don't know. Other crazy cats," she replied. Oscar nodded in agreement.

"Well, they already recruited Cherry and Boris. Those two always seemed off," he muttered. One of Ebony's ears twitched. Cherry had come by her yard a few times. The two didn't talk much, but she liked the young she-cat.

"Huh," was all Ebony murmured. _Maybe that Clan isn't crazy._ Standing, she stretched her muscles. She decided to try and find the cats. The very least she could do is talk to them. That wouldn't hurt any cat.

When she began to walk away, Oscar growled. Quickly, he got to his paws and followed her. "Don't tell me you're going to find them," he demanded. Keeping a sigh in, Ebony shook her head.

"No. I'm just going to go exploring," she replied. Not giving him a chance to talk, she moved fluidly along the fence. Rolling his eyes, Oscar turned around to head home. He hoped the weirdoes were gone by now.

Free from him, Ebony decided to find the strangers. She climbed a tree, using the strength in her legs to her advantage. High enough, she scoured the neighborhood. She found the moving group of cats. They were in a different position from before, around Rose and Lily's home.

_They'll never give up their good life._ Knowing she'd have a small window of opportunity, Ebony descended down the tree. Her paws were quick and silent along the wooden posts. _This'll be exciting! New cats are always fun to talk to._ Smiling, she picked up her pace. Despite what Oscar had told her, she wanted to meet these newcomers.

Voices filtered through the air. They were foreign, holding a rough edge. Ebony's paws stopped. She waited a moment, letting them talk. She heard the name Firestar and her heart stalled for a second.

Suddenly nervous, she scaled down the fence. Her gaze searched the small yard until she found a small juniper bush. Without thinking, she hid in the fauna.

Ebony peeked out only slightly. She spotted Cherry, who followed a ginger tom. When rays of sunlight touched him, he seemed to glow like the living flames Ebony's owner would conjure up on cold nights.

There were two other cats with them. One was a dark brown tom and the other a pale ginger she-cat. Even from here Ebony could see the muscles rippling under the two ginger cats' pelts. _Wh-whoa. They look incredibly strong._

She waited until they were gone before venturing out of the bush. Small sticks twisted in her pelt as berry juice smeared the fur. Sighing, she wondered what had gotten over her. She had been so excited to meet them, but got scared when she heard their voices.

_Oh well. Maybe I'll see them again..._ She didn't feel hopeful as she headed back home.

* * *

After a long time, almost three moons, Ebony saw Cherry for the first time since the awkward encounter.

Ebony lay sprawled on the grass, watching birds fly by. They teased her, hopping close enough in range before shooting up into the sky when she attempted to catch them. Sighing, she rolled onto her stomach.

"Having fun?" Ebony jumped up to see Cherry sitting on the fence. The young she-cat had grown since Ebony last saw her.

"It's been forever since I've seen you Cherry!" Ebony declared. Purring, she bounded over to her friend. Cherry flashed a smile at the dark she-cat.

"I'm now Cherrytail," the tortoiseshell replied. Ebony stopped and tilted her head, confused. The name reminded her of Firestar, who she had been thinking of everyday for the past three moons.

"So Oscar was right. You did join that Clan," Ebony muttered. Cherrytail nodded, leaping down to face her.

"Yep, and it's amazing. Actually, we're looking for new warriors, if you'd like to come with me," she meowed. Ebony stalled. _I can't leave my owner, she'd be devastated. But, it wouldn't hurt just to see what it's about. Right?_

"I'll go with you, but I have to be back by dark," Ebony agreed. Excited, Cherrytail gave a small bounce.

"No problem. Leafstar will be pleased to see you anyway," she meowed. Ebony stared at her with a quizzical look. The names seemed really odd. "Leafstar is the leader of SkyClan, my home," Cherrytail clarified. Lowering her head slightly, Ebony smiled.

"Oh, okay," she mumbled. Together, they jumped over the fence. Each motion caused the trinket on Ebony's collar to emit a small ring. The noise bothered Cherrytail, who didn't mention anything. She didn't want to be rude and possibly stop Ebony from seeing SkyClan. They needed more warriors badly. And even if she said no, at least she would have given it a chance.

When they left the safety of Twoleg homes, Ebony became wary of the surroundings. Never had she been this far from her home. She perfected to always be close enough where she could see the deep red top from treetops. Now, she'd be lucky to find it.

"How much further?" Ebony asked, panting slightly. This trek was wearing her out.

"Not far," Cherrytail replied. Easily she detected the scent markers that defined the edge of her territory. Now they just had to scale down the gorge. The warrior hoped her friend's paws were up to the task. She remembered how Firestar's pads bleed due to being a soft pink.

Taking the lead, Cherrytail instructed Ebony how to get down using the right path. Though the discomfort on Ebony's face was obvious, she didn't complain. It put a small smile on Cherrytail's face to know her friend was giving it her all.

Ebony sighed with relief when her paws touched the ground. It seemed like she'd never reach the bottom.

"There you are Cherrytail!" Ebony looked to see a dark brown tom, the same one she saw with Firestar.

"Oh, sorry Sparrowpelt. I didn't mean to worry you," Cherrytail meowed sheepishly. Calming down, he reached over and touched his nose to her ear.

"It's okay. Just tell some cat when you disappear next time," he replied. Cherrytail smiled then glanced at Ebony.

"This is my brother Sparrowpelt. Brother, this is my friend Ebony," she introduced. Graciously, Ebony bowed her head. Her collar moved and emitted a clink. Sparrowpelt's ears twitched at the foreign noise.

"Is she here to talk to Leafstar?" he asked. Cherrytail nodded. All the attention had Ebony nervous. Cautiously, she licked her chest fur, hoping to hide her emotions.

A few more cats gathered around, curious of the newcomer. Whenever a new kittypet or rogue wandered in, the Clan wanted first looks to see if they were a good choice. Some noticed Ebony's long legs, assuming she should be good at jumping and climbing. Others just saw the collar and heard the horrible noise it created.

Disrupted by the commotion, a brown-and-cream tabby she-cat stepped out of her den. Her amber gaze searched over her Clan, studying their postures and expressions. Then she focused on the kittypet that sat in the middle of all the cats. The trinket on her collar gleamed in the sunlight, sending a beam straight to Leafstar's eyes. Blinking rapidly, she bounded from her den to the small open space in the gorge.

"What's going on?" she demanded. Warriors bowed their heads, showing respect for their leader. Ebony stared at the she-cat. Based on what the others cats were doing, this must be Leafstar.

Cherrytail cleared her throat and looked at her leader. "This is my friend Ebony. I told her about SkyClan and asked if she wanted to check it out," she meowed nervously. Leafstar turned to Ebony, her gaze studying the black she-cat.

"Very well. She can join a hunting group. We'll see how well she does," Leafstar declared. Ebony watched dazed as the leader called for three other cats: Sharpclaw, Patchfoot, and Clovertail. The light brown she-cat smiled warmly at Ebony. _This is all so insane! I'm not even here for a moment and they're giving me a test. Might as well see how I fare. I can always say no if things get intense._

Sharpclaw took the lead. He walked with a purpose, knowing he was better than the others. Ebony followed complacently, not wanting to talk. As they walked, Clovertail explained a few things. Sharpclaw was deputy, second in command to Leafstar. The Clan right now was small, consisting of only about five warriors and two apprentices. However, they kept looking for more recruits. That's why they didn't hesitate with having Ebony come hunting with them.

_They really need cats badly. I'll try to help by hunting._ That was all Ebony could do right now. She couldn't officially join them because of her owner. She loved her so much and knew she'd break her heart if she didn't come back every night.

The warriors paused. Ebony watched as they opened their mouths and scented the air. Following, she picked up on mouse. She had never caught one before, but saw them dashing under bushes in her home.

Sharpclaw motioned to her with his tail. Swallowing, Ebony carefully moved forward. Instinctively, her body balanced into a crouch. Wary of where she put her paws, she snuck closer to the mouse. When it entered her vision, she jumped.

Her collar tinkled and the mouse darted away. Ebony landed awkwardly before rolling onto her side. Slowly, she got to her paws. Three distinct gazes met her: one harsh, one kind, and one she couldn't read.

"You'll never catch anything with that nuisance," Sharpclaw growled, pointing to her collar with his tail. Ashamed, Ebony lowered her head. At the trinket's noise, she flinched. _I guess I never noticed it..._

The two toms began to pad away. Clovertail looked at Ebony kindly.

"Don't worry too much. Sharpclaw can be harsh," she meowed. Sighing, Ebony nodded. After her collar stopped ringing, she looked around desperate to find something,_ anything_, she could use to muffle the noise. She spotted a patch of moss around the trunk of a tree.

Ebony went over and picked up some moss in her paw. It was soft and compact. She placed some around the trinket, tucking it into her collar. It stayed in place due to the moss. Pleased, she bounded over to Clovertail. Not once did it make a noise.

* * *

Ebony managed to catch a blackbird using her strong legs. Her crouch wasn't the best, but she caught it before it flew away. And it had been a while since she took down live prey.

The four returned back to SkyClan's camp. Leafstar waited for them. When she saw Ebony carrying prey, her hopes rose. Obviously this young she-cat had what it took to be a warrior. Now, she just had to ask her if she'd like to stay.

Cherrytail bounded up to meet her friend as she entered camp. The excitement in the warrior's eyes caused a smile to appear on Ebony's face. She felt battered after hunting. Her muscles weren't used to the rigorous activities. If she was to join SkyClan, she'd have to get used to it.

"How was it?" Cherrytail asked. Sitting down, Ebony placed the bird down. She just wanted to plop down and fall asleep. With every other cat around, she knew she wouldn't be able to.

"Tiring. I've never trekked that far before," she answered. Purring, Cherrytail reached over and touched Ebony's nose with hers.

"You have much to be proud about. You caught a bird and you brought back moss for Echosong," the warrior encouraged. Looking down, Ebony remembered the moss. She shook it loose then scraped it up into a small pile. A different cat picked it up then carried it to a small cave. Cherrytail motioned to Leafstar and walked with Ebony to the leader.

"That's a nice catch," the leader meowed. Ebony bowed her head, happy with the praise.

"Thank you. And I have to say, despite how sore I am, I enjoyed going hunting and catching something with my own claws," she replied. Leafstar smiled.

"That's good to hear, because I want to ask if you'd like to join SkyClan." Instantly Ebony took a step back, her green eyes wide.

"I'm homered, but I can't," she muttered. Cherrytail's mouth dropped. She couldn't believe what her friend was saying.

"A-are you sure? You'd make an excellent warrior," she stammered. Hesitantly, Ebony nodded.

"I told you, I have to be back by dark. Otherwise my owner will worry about me. I can't do that to her," Ebony whispered. Clovertail padded up to the small group. She had been impressed by Ebony's earlier performance.

"What if you came here just during the day?" she asked. The remark caused Sharpclaw to growl. Just the thought of allowing a cat to join on their own terms rubbed him the wrong way.

"Then she wouldn't be real warrior. The rest of us made the decision to leave our past lives for the Clan," he brought up. A few cats nodded in agreement as the whole Clan now gathered around them.

"I-I wouldn't mind coming here during the day," Ebony muttered. Every cat turned to look at Leafstar. Ultimately, she was the one to decide what happened to the she-cat.

"I'll allow her to come during the day. If she does so for a moon, she'll officially be part of SkyClan," Leafstar decided. Thankful, Ebony bowed to the leader.

"You won't be disappointed," she promised.

* * *

For the next moon, as soon as her owner let her out, Ebony headed to SkyClan's camp. She helped out with hunting and gathering moss. She was able to carry it with her collar, enabling her to collect more than the others. Soon, she was joined by a few other kittypets that served SkyClan during the day but returned to their nests at night. It was obvious a few cats didn't like that they had somewhere safe to sleep.

Ebony traveled along a fence. Peering over, she spotted Billy and Freckle. The young she-cat had been unofficially placed in Ebony's care. The black she-cat didn't mind. The two joined her and together they headed to SkyClan.

"Excited for today?" Billy asked. Tilting her head, Ebony stopped to stare at him.

"What's today?" she retorted. Chuckling, Billy picked up his pace.

"It's been a moon since you started being a day-light warrior," he replied. The term had been coined by one of the other warriors. Unfortunately it stuck.

"Oh, right!" she shouted. She wondered what today would entail. Maybe she'd get her warrior name. Or she might officially have Freckle appointed to her as an apprentice.

Elated with all the unknown choices, she moved faster. The sooner she got there, the sooner she'd find out. When she saw the gorge come in view, a wide smile plastered her face. Forcing herself to calm down, she made her way down the gorge carefully. The last thing she wanted was to trip and arrive in camp by falling.

"Hi Ebony!" Cherrytail greeted. Ebony flicked her tail in a hello then headed to Leafstar's den. Both Billy and Freckle followed her. They wanted to know what their assignment for today would be.

"Good morning," Leafstar chirped. The three day-light cats bowed their heads. Smiling, Leafstar glanced at Ebony. She knew today was a big day for the black she-cat.

"What are we going to do first?" Billy asked. Behind them, the other cats had ventured out of their dens. The newest warrior Waspwhisker talked to Echosong. He still seemed weak from his severe malnutrition and dehydration from a while ago.

"Since you're all here anyway," Leafstar began, "I'd like to officially welcome three cats to our Clan." Ebony felt slightly down. She hoped that today would be her day. However, having to share it with two others meant it would be more special. Putting her doubts aside, she focused on Leafstar, who was addressing the Clan once more.

"I, Leafstar, leader of SkyClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these three fine cats. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you in your turns. Billy, Ebony, and Freckle, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your lives?" Leafstar paused and glanced at the three. Never had Ebony heard of protecting the Clan with her life. Of course, she didn't spend all of her time here. She wanted to be part of their Clan. She had earned it after working so hard. Also, she remembered hearing of StarClan repeatedly. She didn't know if cats truly walked in the stars, but she would never tarnish the Clans' beliefs. Perhaps she would dream of them one day. Until then, she'd compromise with the Clan. She wouldn't say anything bad about StarClan, nor would she say she _didn't_ believe in them. It seemed only fair.

"I do," Ebony vowed. She was joined by the others as try agreed to defend and fight for the Clan.

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior and apprentice names. Ebony, from this moment on, you will be known as Ebonyclaw. We honor your strength and cunning mind," Leafstar declared. Pride built inside of Ebonyclaw. She couldn't believe how far she had come from being a kittypet who was too scared to face Firestar to now being a warrior of SkyClan.

Leafstar announced Billystorm and Frecklepaw to the Clan. It was obvious a few cats didn't like the names. Ebonyclaw's was fine considering her kittypet name was a color. The others didn't honor StarClan as much. They still held on to their kittypet life.

Ebonyclaw held still as Leafstar stalled in front of her. She had been told about the ritual warriors went through once they received their names. To her, it seemed like an action of honor more than anything else. Still, she respectfully liked her leader's shoulder.

"I shall appoint Frecklepaw's mentor as well. Ebonyclaw, you are ready for your first apprentice. You will mentor the young she-cat and pass on all your knowledge to her," Leafstar announced. The excitement Ebonyclaw held was immeasurable as she touched her nose to her new apprentice's.

She truly felt apart of SkyClan, a feeling she had never experienced before. She used to spend her days sleeping outside or watching the birds. It wasn't until SkyClan that she actually felt accomplished.

It was a wonderful feeling she'd be able to have every day when she saw the gorge. And nothing would ever take it away from her.

**I don't own Warriors.**

**There's my BLUC challenge. Now, I challenge anyone to do the same for an unnoticed character. Check out my profile for more info and please vote on my poll.**


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